Back with the Landgraabs in San Sequoia, little Queenie here has grown into a toddler.
The Watcher adores the new infant lifestage, but toddlers will forever hold his whole heart.
Queenie’s first burger.
It sure beats mushy infant food!
Gaaaah, she’s just so cute!
Queenie isn't the only Landgraab offspring to have aged up recently.
Little Dag Dag is now an adorable infant.
As a result, great-grandma Nancy seems to find him even more curious.
"Why are you always smiling at me, huh? None of my usual techniques to make children cry seem to work on you. Hmm."
Unfortunately for Nancy, she has now been forced to share her room with little Queenie.
The Watcher hadn't built this house with three kids in mind, and Dag Dag barely sleeps for a more than a few hours before he wakes up screaming, so yeah... there was no other option.
It’s safe to assume Nancy is NOT happy about this arrangement. Who’d have guessed?
"What's wrong, Nancy? You've been muttering under your breath, and rather unsubtly so I must say, for the last fifteen minutes now. Mostly about how you wish to destroy us all. What have I told you about wishing such things on your own family?"
Nancy huffed.
"Well... can you blame me? You made me share my bedroom with one of the little people. It's NOT FAIR."
Betsy sighed. "How about we make a deal, huh? You continue to share your room with Queenie, AND be a good great-gran... uh, I mean friend, to her and Dag Dag...."
"Then?" Nancy demanded impatiently.
"THEN, I will agree to begin tutoring you in your spell-casting. It is all you talk of since you saw what you did in the basement... and I think it best you learn how to wield it appropriately, and at the earliest opportunity."
Nancy could barely contain her excitement. "OMG REALLY? BETSY I LOVE... I mean, uh, yes please. That'd be cool, I guess… and I promise to do all that other stuff in return."
Before long, Nancy was beginning her first Spellcaster 101 lesson with Betsy.
(during which time Sul Sul was very happy to keep his little mini-me quietly content)
"Okay Nancy, your first lesson is here. We're going to begin by going through what magic SHOULD and SHOULDN'T be used for. Firstly, it is NOT for hurting others. Specifically no killing, maiming, torturing, draining of lifeform..."
"Borrrrriiiiiiiiinnnng! When are we going to start actually using spells?!"
"Ms Landgraab! There will be absolutely no use of spells until you have shown me you understand these basic principles. I have seen what happens when a Spellcaster abuses their power, and.... well, I will not let it happen again. Now, the sooner you grasp these rules, the sooner we can move onto lesson two - turning mud into ice cream!"
"Ice cream?! Oh my Watcher... okay, okay.... I'm listening! Continue already!!"
Sul Sul wasn't having as much luck with his own duties in the other room, however.
"HOLY PLUMBOB! Not all over my work outfit...!! Darn it, Dag Dag..."
One day (not long after), Sul Sul entered the lounge one day to find a rather disturbing scene unfolding.
"... so like I said, I'm the Queen around here, got it? As long as you both do as I say, then I won't have to..."
"Okay Nancy! That's enough playing for today. Let me just come and scoop up little Dag Dag here..."
Sul Sul shuddered. He was glad to have been around to interrupt that.
Kid Nancy gave him the absolute creeps, even more so than when she was an old lady. He didn't understand how Betsy couldn't see the extent of it 💀
"What's wong, Nankee?" asked Queenie, noticing the prolonged scowl she now shot at Sul Sul. "Wu mad at our dada?"
"Shh! Be quiet Queenie! Gosh, you are soooo annoying! And he’s just your daddy, not mine!"
Queenie's little lip began to quiver.
"Wu swo mwean, Nankee! Me tell mummy 'bout wu!"
Nancy cursed her own bad temper. She had promised to be nice to the other children, and didn't want to risk Betsy taking away her spellcaster training after just a couple of days...
"I'm sorry, Queenie!! I'm really sorry, okay!! Come, let's go play with my dolls. I'll even let you touch one of them this time!"
That weekend, Betsy and Sul Sul headed out for date night. The evening somehow ended up with them in a club at 2am.
"Why are we here?" joked Betsy. "This is so NOT our scene."
"I guess we just needed a release, y'know? Things can get pretty crazy at home sometimes. She's just.... well, *always* there."
"Oh... Look, I know she can be a handful... but is she really THAT bad? Actually, don't answer that. You'll be happy to hear, at least, that she has a day out planned with friends tomorrow (shocker!). It sounds like a Nancy-free day might do us all some good."
The next day, Sul Sul made the most of the gang being Nancy-less by taking the kids out to a splash-park.
The Watcher's heart melted.
Just another shot, simply because it was too cute to waste.
Queenie had a lot of fun that day.
She even ventured into the ominous darkness of this climbing frame, and thankfully came out the other side in one piece.
Whilst the rest of the Landgraabs were enjoying their day out, Nancy was indeed spending it with friends. Against all odds, she had managed to find herself infiltrating a friendship group, largely thanks to the remarkable fortuity and kindness of Gabriella Charm.
It also happened to be circle of friends that included one Sandy Kattan.
"So you know I'm a super powerful witch now, right?" Nancy bragged to the fourth member of their group, Jamie. "I could totally turn you all into frogs if I wanted... but I won't... yet, so dont worry."
"What's wrong, Sandy?" asked Gabriella, noticing the unforgiving expression upon her friend's face.
"Oh, well I just think Nancy is a big fat LIAR! Thats all. Even if you are really a witch, child Sims can't cast spells anywhere but in CAS... so good luck turning us all into frogs! In fact, I double DARE you to do it right now!"
Nancy simply laughed Sandy's challenge off, dismissing her entirely.
"Oh, please," she said, turning back to Jamie. "Dont listen to her, she isn't even a mermaid like her grandma and dad. How sad is that!"
Sandy was taken aback by this attack, and more so that Nancy didn't even flinch despite the furious glares she fired in her direction.
Who the PLUM did this pointy-cheeked girl think she is?!
Despite the friction amongst the group at the bubble tea cafe, the kids headed onward to the cinema to see Lllamawoman Volume XXVI.
"Oh my gosh! That was soooo good," shrieked Jamie and Sandy, after the film had finished. "The way Llamawoman completely annihilated those giant space dust bunnies was EPIC! Right, Nancy?!"
"Meh," replied Nancy. "I mean... it was okay, I guess, but Llamawoman is sooo overrated. Lame, actually. I could beat her in a fight any day. With my hands tied behind my back, probably."
"Seriously?" Sandy felt her eyes roll back so hard that she thought they might never come back down again. "How could YOU do that? Oh, let me guess... with all your mysterious, non-existent powers...?"
"Actually, you know what?" Sandy continued. "I dont even care to know. You are just soo annoying, Landgraab."
Nancy observed Sandy with an amused expression upon her face. How was it so easy to rile this girl up?
"Wow, Kattan. You really dont like me, huh? I guess you'll be the first one I turn into a frog."
Privately, though, Nancy was becoming increasingly impressed. Sandy was the first kid at school who didn't simply shrink in the wake of her torments. Brave enough to challenge her, even. Maybe, just maybe, she had finally found a peer worthy of her respect.
Back at home, everyone was feeling pretty exhausted after an eventful day.
In the case of Dag Dag, it even meant the collection of a new milestone!
Hooray - this is a huge win for everyone (especially the Watcher).
Elsewhere that evening, Nancy practised some yoga in the basement. An unusual hobby for a girl her age, and yet she held a peculiar aptitude for it. As if she'd been a master of it once, in another life perhaps.
She began thinking of her newfound rivalry with the Kattan girl. There was something oddly familiar about that, too. It made little sense, but it felt as though this wasn’t the first time she'd gone toe to toe with someone of that name… and she had a feeling it hadn't ended all that well.
Suddenly her head began to pound, and another round of mysterious visions hit. This time they were terrifying. She heard the song of a mermaid, and then she was drowning.
Meanwhile, back in Tartosa, with the Kattans…
Things has been ticking along swimmingly at The Blue Mermaid.
The clientele were pouring through the doors, though more importantly Delphin was having an absolute blast.
He was so glad he'd taken the bold step to open up in his own place!
Dine here. It’s not a suggestion, it’s a mandate.
Nalani and Sandy were out for a walk one evening.
"So, I hear you've made some friends at school already? How lovely, dear."
"Oh yes, Grandma. There's Jamie, and then there's Gabriella... and... urgh... well, then there's Nancy. I don't think I like that one very much, though."
"Nancy? As in Landgraab? Listen, Sandy. I want you to stay away from that one, okay? She's bad news. Trust me when I say that. She and your grandmother have... umm, quite the history together."
Sandy appeared dubious.
"But grandma... how can you have history with a kid? She isn't... well... old like you."
"Don't you worry about that. Just promise me you'll stay away from her, yes? At the very least, keep your wits about you."
"Okay... I mean, it wasn't like I was planning to invite her around for sleepovers anytime soon, anyway. Like I said, she's super weird."
"Oh, you don't know how much that pleases me. And you'll be sure to tell your grandma if she ever treats you horribly?"
Sandy nodded.
"Now then, come and give this old lady a big kiss."
Nalani and Ichika enjoyed a game of cards that evening. It was their favourite bonding activity, and one they looked forward to each night once the kids were finally tucked up in bed.
"You know, I really don't think we should let Sandy hang around the devil spawn anymore. No good can come of it."
Ichika sighed.
"She's not the same person as she was in her past life, Nalani. Betsy wouldn't let her be around other kids if that was the case."
"Betsy is naive sometimes," responded Nalani. "She underestimates that girl. She always has."
"I just think we..." Ichika paused, staring perplexedly at her deck. "Hey, wait a minute! How did you just do that? You beat me... again!!"
Nalani smirked.
"You have to keep your head in the game, Ichika. Trust me on this. The Landgraab girl spells trouble. Mark my words."
Delphin is excited that the Watcher finally bought the new pack, allowing him to try his hand at crafting pizza. An easy peasy task when you're a chef with level ten cooking skill!
"Praise the Watcher for this oval goodness.... rumour had it he'd almost abandoned us for an Alphabetacy in The Sims 2."
*Watcher shifts uncomfortably behind his keyboard*
Little Finnick appears to be a big fan of his dad's new pizza-riffic hobby.
why does the food in this game always have to be so low-poly lol
Delphin doing what he loves best.
He always looks so darn majestic.
Someone flattened Sandy’s dollhouse as she slept, and even the Watcher has no clue who did it.
The only logical explanation: Nancy broke into the Kattan household overnight and wreaked havoc.
Nothing makes the Watcher happier than seeing the Gen 3 crew come together again.
It had been a while.
It’s especially good to see the Landgraab cousins on such good terms again.
Although how’s that re-traiting potion for Nancy coming along, eh ladies?
"Hey dad, can you help me with my history homework for a moment? I forget... was the first Cowplant discovered in 139 BW or 239 BW?"
"One second, Sandy... Daddy is a bit busy right now..."
BW = Before Watcher
The weekend came around, and Sandy was invited to the park by her friend Gabriella Charm.
She excitedly agreed, although it was only upon arriving that she realised it wasn’t to be just the two of them.
Wherever Gabriella goes, Nancy goes… apparently.
Nancy has surely cast some kind of spell on Gabriella, else there’s a degree of stockholm syndrome going on here
Then something odd happened.
Sandy began to find she didn't entirely detest Nancy's company.
She could actually be quite sufferable... when she wasn't talking much.
"Hey, Sandy... so you know how I'm a witch because I'm a Landgraab?"
"So you say..."
"Well, I think I was wrong before. Maybe you are a mermaid like your dad and grandma. Maybe you just don't know it yet. I mean, you are a Kattan, after all... aren't you?"
"Stop messing around, Nancy..."
"No, I really think you must be, Sandy. Just think how cool that would be... and even better, what an awesome mermaid sidekick you could make for me...
"Wait a minute… you really think so? Oh My Watcher..."
The next day, in beautiful Tartosa…
"So... uhhh... how does this thing work? I still have legs... where's my tail?"
"You just have to want it hard enough, duh! Thats how I realised I was a witch. Don't you want to be a mermaid, Sandy?"
"I don't know, Nancy... This whole thing seems, well, kinda dumb... I should just go ask my dad about this..."
Nancy sighed.
"I don't know what to tell you, Sandy... If there's no tail, then you know what that means... and if you're not a mermaid, then you can't be a Kattan either... so maybe you're adopted? Wow, maybe these people, whoever they are, have just been lying to you this whole time..."
"Stop it!" said Sandy, caught between the urge to cry and shout out. "There's no way!"
Nancy waited for her to disappear in a fit of anger, and then chuckled away to herself.
"Well, that was fun... and way easier than I expected… gosh, these other kids really are dumb. Everyone knows a mermaid doesn't show her tail until she's a teenager."
“She was just lying… right Dino? Yeah, she was definitely pulling my leg. My leg… and not my tail. Oh... what if it’s true… what if I’m not a mermaid… what if I’m not who I think I am…”
When Delphin and Ichika invited Grandma Nalani to come and live with them, they likely weren’t anticipating this kind of behaviour…
Nalani, why don’t you leave the rude awakenings to the young kids of the household?
Nalani was in a rather good mood that day, however. She had a lunch date planned in sunny Sulani. It'd been a while since she'd been back here.
Well, it wasn't technically a date. She’d sworn off the idea of men before her second somewhat-marriage had even ended, yet she wasn’t opposed to a bit of fun in her twilight years.
"So yeah, that's how the evil old llama-bag who murdered my first husband ended up becoming my grandaughter's elementary school frenemy. Wild, right?"
*unsuspecting date stares at her in total bewilderment*
Umm, I guess its a good thing this wasn’t a 'real' date after all, Nalani.
Nalani didnt mind if she never saw that guy again, though. Why would she?
She already had her two true loves in life - her family, and the ocean.
side note: the Watcher has missed Sulani so much omg
Finnick's birthday suddenly came around, and with it a frantic rush to ensure he swept up his outstanding milestones.
The household will be without little ones rampaging around now, and thats a bit sad.
Ichika took the opportunity to pull aside Betsy for a chat at Finnick's birthday party that evening.
"Not wanting to rush you... but how's that re-traiting potion coming along for Nancy? She's... how do I put this... starting to make people a little nervous."
"Oh. Umm, yes. It won't be long now. Unfortunately we still have to wait for her to age into a teen, but then its go-time. For now, we have little else to do but damage limitation..."
Finnick aged up!
Sandy will of course remain the heir… buuuuut… well, lets just say the Watcher is already very attached.
Why is it always so difficult to let our Spares be just that?
Before we head back over to the Landgraab household, the time felt right for a Kattan family portrait.
<3
